[imagesource: Twitter / @cnn]

We often joke that stage eight load shedding sees an Eskom official arrive at your house to blow out the candles.

Hey, at least they’re not forcibly removing you from your house and hauling you off to a COVID-19 quarantine facility. Small mercies.

Footage widely shared over the weekend showed two men wearing white hazmat suits trying to drag a man off a living room couch. The incident occurred on November 30 in Hangzhou, southwest of Shanghai.

Protests erupted across China last month as residents reached their breaking point with the government’s zero-COVID policies.

A man was dragged out of his home in China after allegedly refusing to go to a quarantine facility. Authorities said they later apologized for “pulling and dragging” him. https://t.co/WiOA9AQSSA pic.twitter.com/TjM68WViLO

— CNN (@CNN) December 2, 2022

The pushback from the public has finally resulted in a shift in government policy, reports Al Jazeera:

…several cities including Shenzhen and Beijing no longer requiring negative tests to take public transport.

The moves come even as daily COVID-19 infections in China hover near all-time highs… Beijing has also begun shutting down public testing booths, in a move that has prompted both cheers and concern.

Some estimates suggest that as many as two million people could die if the country immediately pivots to a full reopening.

Other sources claim that more than 95% of the country’s cases are asymptomatic and mild with a very low fatality rate.

Chinese President Xi Jinping remains under pressure and his next steps are being watched very closely, reports The Guardian:

Analysts have said that exiting zero-Covid will pose a major political challenge for Xi. There have already been reports of confusion and complaints as the rollback of some zero-covid infrastructure clashes with rules still in place, such as the reduction in testing stations causing long queues for those who still need tests to travel or take part in particular activities.

Maybe they’ll even start showing footage of the crowds at FIFA World Cup matches in Qatar now.

That remains unlikely when you consider that residents who took part in the protests are now living in fear of retribution.

Police officers in major cities have been seen checking commuters’ phones to see if they participated, as well as checking for apps and software that allows for private communication.

[sources:aljazeera&guardian]